As the Scottish Premiership season starts on 31 July I thought I'd start a new thread for 2026-2027. First game is away to Dundee United but before that friendlies against Saint Etienne and West Ham at Ibrox. @Mod please can you pin this thread. @erskblue @Scott @carrickblue @The Boehly Babes and @The Rising Sun and others.

UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Draw

RANGERS have been drawn to face Jagiellonia Bialystok in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

Derek McInnes’ men will come up against the Polish topflight side in their first European fixture this season.

The first legs are due to be played on Thursday August 6, with the second-leg the following Thursday, August 13, subject to any necessary calendar adjustments.

Supporters are encouraged not to book travel or accommodation until full fixture details have been confirmed.

---

Club Statement: Scottish FA Independent Review

Rangers has received the independent review into the match against Celtic on 8 March 2026.

The disorder witnessed that day was unacceptable. The club unreservedly condemns those who forced entry, entered the field of play, engaged in violence, used pyrotechnics or threw missiles, vandalised the stadium, burned tifo materials or directed abhorrent abuse at the victims of the Ibrox Disaster.

We recognise the distress caused to supporters, staff and others affected and the professionalism of the police officers and stewards as they restored order on the day.

Rangers engaged fully with the independent review and accepts responsibility for the areas within the club’s control. We will implement the lessons learned and recommendations required to strengthen our arrangements. We expect the same accountability from others involved.

It is important that the preparations undertaken ahead of that fixture are recognised. First, we asked for the existing agreement between Rangers and Celtic on away ticket allocations for the past two seasons to be respected. We also set out clear safety concerns about departing from that approach, but the increased allocation proceeded. Our operational plan for the match was materially enhanced to reflect the allocation and subsequent risks identified. Our preparations also included increased stewarding and ticket checks, additional resources at turnstiles and exits, revised arrival arrangements and measures to tackle attempted doubling-up and forced entry.

Despite this, our plan, prepared with the authorities, was severely tested by those determined to cause disorder. As a result, the events nevertheless demonstrated that further action is required.

• We will put in place measures to strengthen planning and safety for high-risk fixtures.

• The Board will oversee the changes and recommendations being implemented.

• Supporters will be engaged directly in this work including through the Fan Advisory Board.

• Since the match, the club has introduced a supporter conduct and sanctions policy and acted against individuals identified through police investigations and other available evidence.

• Ticketing accounts have been suspended while cases are considered, and bans enforced. Serious misconduct will result in serious consequences.

While we support some of the report’s recommendations, we do not accept every finding or factual assertion it contains. We have and will continue to raise concerns with the Scottish FA about significant aspects of the independent report.

• We are concerned about the description and limited examination of the decision to allocate around 8,000 tickets to Celtic, which materially changed the risk profile of the fixture. We raised safety concerns but were left in no doubt that the competition rule would be applied and the increased allocation was expected to proceed.

• The independent review should have scrutinised the Scottish FA's actions as robustly as those of clubs and other organisations. This is a significant omission.

• The report also proposes a pathway towards a return to full away allocations between Rangers and Celtic. This was not part of the terms of reference of this report and does not reflect our position. We have no plans to restore historic Old Firm allocations at Ibrox.

• Instead, we call on the Scottish FA to review its own ticket allocation rules and policies, and how they are implemented, in light of the lessons arising from this match.

The report also raises wider questions about how safety and security are managed across Scottish football. Rangers supports stronger national coordination, structured supporter involvement and more effective legislative powers.

As part of that, we welcome the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on strengthening Football Banning Orders. The police and the courts must have effective powers to address serious misconduct connected to football. We expect tragedy abuse, including abuse concerning the Ibrox Disaster, to be explicitly addressed in any subsequent legislation.

Our focus now is on engaging with the forthcoming disciplinary process and implementing the necessary changes. Scottish football will only reduce the risk of these events being repeated and make progress if every organisation is prepared to examine its own decisions with accountability and a genuine commitment to improvement.

Rangers v AS Saint-Étienne

Rangers 2-1 AS Saint-Étienne

RANGERS defeated AS Saint-Étienne 2-1 in the first friendly of the season at Ibrox this evening.

Lawrence Shankland and Thelo Aasgaard both scored from the penalty spot in what was another good test for Derek McInnes’ side ahead of the start of the Scottish Premiership campaign.

Summer signings Ivor Pandur, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Dan Neil and Lawrence Shankland all started the match, with Cammy Devlin named on the bench.

Rangers started with Pandur in goal, behind a back four of McCrorie, Godfrey, Emmanuel Fernandez and Tuur Rommens.

In midfield, Neil partnered Tochi Chukwuani with Mohamed Diomande and Findlay Curtis on either side. Last season’s top goalscorer Youssef Chermiti was joined up front by Shankland.

With four minutes played at Ibrox, Rangers were awarded a penalty after Mohamed Diomande was taken down by Kevin Pedro.

Lawrence Shankland stepped-up to the spot, and the striker made no mistake on finishing a low right-footed penalty into the back of the net.

There was almost a second in the 12th minute and it was a lovely attacking move by Rangers. The ball was won back well in midfield after pressure from Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani before being played out to Chermiti on the left.

The striker raced forward and fed it to Rommens who had continued his run to the byline to play a one-two with Chermiti but the number 9 was denied a goal by the crossbar.

Goalkeeper Ivor Pandur was called into action as Irvin Cardona was through on goal, but the Croatian got a crucial touch to divert it wide before the danger was cleared.

The visitors had a goal back on the 38th minute as Thierno Ballo crossed a ball in from the right, with Jakob Breum Martisen tapping home from close range.

There was one change at half-time for Rangers as Cammy Devlin was introduced for a first appearance in place of Findlay Curtis.

Devlin was lively in midfield, and, not for the first time, won the ball back just inside the visitors half, before Lawrence Shankland tried a spectacular effort as he spotted the goalkeeper off his line but it was just high of the target.

Dan Neil came close too with a right-footed strike over the bar, before Pandur held a powerful shot from Mehdy Lutin.

With 83 minutes played, Rangers were awarded a second penalty of the game after Bojan Miovski was taken down inside the box by the goalkeeper. This time it was Thelo Aagaard who stood over the set piece, and it was a confident penalty from the Norway international in his first appearance since the World Cup as he sent it into the back of the net.

Rangers: Pandur, McCrorie (Nsio, 73), Godfrey, Fernandez, Rommens, Neil (Cameron, 85), Chukwuani (Aasgaard, 60) Diomande, Curtis (Devlin, 46) , Chermiti (Naderi, 60), Shankland (Miovski, 73).

Subs: Kelly, McGuire, Bajrami, Antman, Nsiala, Sterling, Gassama, Hutton, McCausland.

AS Saint-Étienne: Larsonneur, Ferreira (Stojkovic, 69), Le Cardinal (Depalle, 72), Nair (Kasia, 46), Pedro (Reynaud, 72), Bernauer (Teillol, 72), Csongvai (Mouton, 72), Martisen, Ballo (Baallal, 46), Duffus (Moulin, 72), Cardona (Lutin, 72).

Subs: Gadegbeku, Toty, Colombet.

Today's team:

Seen Shankland has replaced Tav as club captain.

Quietly confident for this season.

A Manager who intimately knows the club AND the league, new arrivals that were some of the leagues best last year and no stupid off field distractions so far.

Fingers crossed.

Tonight's team:

WATP.

Strange not seeing Tav up there.

It is the kind of kit you lift trophies in. Umbro have done a fantastic job.

Thelo Aasgaard's superb strike earned Rangers a point in a 1-1 draw at Tannadice.

Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw at Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership curtain-raiser as the Derek McInnes era got off to an underwhelming start at Tannadice.

www.bbc.co.uk

Lachlan Rose scored his fourth goal of the season to give the hosts a deserved half-time lead, before Thelo Aasgaard thundered in a superb equaliser on 56 minutes.

Having come within minutes of winning the Premiership title with Heart of Midlothian last season, McInnes moved along the M8 to replace Danny Rohl at Ibrox in June, with Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland and Australia midfielder Cammy Devlin also making the same switch.

However, the new-look Rangers side flattered to deceive in the first half.

After a promising opening, in which a Shankland backheel was well saved by United goalkeeper Jack Walton, the hosts grew into the contest and hit the front with a lovely team goal.

Zac Sapsford stepped over Jesse Randall's cross from the right, allowing Rose to nudge a left-footed finish into the bottom corner beyond debutant Rangers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.

The visitors were much improved after the break, with McInnes bringing on Dan Neil and Youssef Chermiti at the break, and after a couple of sharp saves from Walton, Aasgaard stepped up with a moment of real quality.

The Norway midfielder's first touch created the space that allowed him to lash a powerful left-footed strike beyond Walton's despairing dive.

Both teams had chances as the game became increasingly stretched, but it was United who passed up the most glaring opportunity to take the three points.

New Zealand winger Randall inexplicably dinked his shot straight at Pandur after a delightful pass from Daniel Bennie played him through on goal and in the end, both teams had to settle for a point.

In a summer of transition at Rangers, it is clear they still need further additions if they are to challenge for the title this term.

It has been widely reported they are still in the market for at least one winger and Djeidi Gassama did little to cement his place in the starting team in a wasteful first-half display that resulted in him being hooked off.

McInnes' half-time changes did have an impact - Chermiti was more direct than Ryan Naderi up front and offered a threat in behind, while Neil wanted to get on the ball in the middle of the park.

Aasgaard's goal was a rare moment of quality, but from there, Rangers failed to kick on.

Shankland was left furious with Chermiti when the Portuguese striker went for goal instead of feeding his new team-mate and that frustration summed up the evening for the Ibrox outfit.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes: "We worked hard to get back into it but I don't think we were good enough to win the game.

"I thought the point was the right scoreline and we're disappointed with that.

"First half, we wasted a lot, we didn't create too much, and it was a bit too frantic.

"We never really connected the game well enough or looked after the ball well enough, and we lost a poor goal from our point of view."

UEFA Europa League Play-Off Round Draw

THE draw for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League was made this afternoon with Rangers facing either Larne or Iberia Tbilisi, should they progress against Jagiellonia Białystok.

Derek McInnes’ men will kick-off their European campaign in the third qualifying round this week, with the first-leg in Poland on Thursday night, before the return at Ibrox next week.

The winners of that qualifier will play the play-off on August 20 and August 27.

Full match details will be confirmed in due course.

Today's team:

Still work to do. 🫤

58 minutes ago, Scott said:

Still work to do. 🫤

In getting through next week and in building a new side.